Okay, it seems I have been inducted into the Slow Losers Club. Odd, but I guess it's true. I haven't been all that worried about being a slow loser, as long as I am losing. But, my stats speak for me, especially considering I lost 15 pounds in 12 days post-surgery and nothing more for 3 months. So, sigh, here I am. I haven't been a good NSV keeper. I will do my best to keep track and post them here. But I'm hoping they'll have to kick me out of the club, since I really really like seeing the scale move

I can cross my legs now. It's easier if I am sitting back or lounging, but if I'm sitting up and scootch sideways a bit onto one hip, I can comfortably cross. WOW!

My shirts are just too big. I go to put one on and I'm choosing the smallest one I have because all that extra fabric bugs me. Time to shop, but the budget prevents it right now. I'll do it, really!

I need new bras. Forget the fact that the ones I have are stretched and old and ragged, they are too big! The girls just hang, I have no good support with them, and I look bustier than I really am unless I have the Body Dysmorphic Disorder thing going on about my chest size. Some of my bras are 40D's, some are 38D's, a couple are 40C's. I think I need 38, maybe 36D's? I can't imagine needing a 36C but it's possible? Anyhow, time to shop.

I got a hair cut and can't keep my hubby from chasing me around. Wait, is that the new 'do or an NSV?

Friends at church compliment me just about every week, tell me how good I'm looking and what a difference they can see. Yay!

My undies are a little baggy in the butt. Sigh. There goes more money.

I sleep better, don't snore anymore, and rolls in the hay with hubby are no longer uncomfortable...I can breathe when I'm laying down!!!!

My new pants, something I actually shopped for, are size 18-20W and they are loose. Not baggy yet, but loose.

My panni is shrinking a little. It's still there, the overhang above my C-sect scar, and it still looks terribly ugly and it's still in the way, but it's smaller. I even bothered to shave the bikini area the other day. I could almost see it!!

My slide on shoes slide off if I'm not careful. My feet have shrunk/shrank (which is it?).

I used to trudge up the stairs, but now I can walk right up. If I have my slippers on at home and need to go upstairs, I take them off and almost jog up.

Okay, that's it for now. I'll post more as they happen and I promise to do a better job of paying attention to them.

Slow Losers...I did it! I posted NSV's!!!!!

Here's a BMI chart (info from Inamed webpage)

Less than 18.5 Underweight

18.5-24.9 Normal weight

25-29.9 Overweight

30-34.9 Obese

35-39.9 Severely Obese

40+ Morbidly Obese

Posting here for future reference.

At my high weight of 242? or so, I was 40.3 BMI, morbidly obese.

Surgery weight was 223. That's a 37.1 BMI, Severely Obese

Today, Im 192.6, BMI of 32, that's Obese.

My mini-goal is 188 for the Fall challenge, that will put me at 31.3 BMI, still Obese

When I hit 180, I'll have a 30BMI, still obese.

I will need to weigh 175 in order to be just overweight.

Wait, isn't this an NSV thread? Arrggghhhh! I'm getting my threads mixed up!

But Kathy, being Obsese IS a an NSV!

I know, it IS!!! I was working on this BMI chart thing and I got my threads mixed up this morning. There's the Fall Challenge, the NSV's the Mini-goals (which is what got me on the BMI tangent) and blah blah blah. I hate I missed the mini-goal of transitioning from Severely Obese to Obese. That's a GREAT!!!! NSV! So now I'm glad I found that out.

Now I just want to keep up with all the threads I'm posting on. Am I getting senile? Is my attention span going kaput? Am I on sensory overload? PMSing? Yeah, that's it. It's gotta be it because it always is and I'm due in 5 days. Whew. Maybe I'm not nuts? LOL

Yesterday I wore my shirt tucked in. It looked awful, but I promise it looked better than the shirt untucked. THAT was gross. My belly is still floppy. I have the smiling panni curve at the bottom. Yuck. BUT! I did it. I walked out of the house and intentionally went to lunch with a shirt tucked IN! My sister said I look 10 pounds lighter, even with the belly showing, than when I wear the 2X, too big, floppy shirts. Yay!

I am going to my hubby's niece's wedding next week and have nothing to wear. The very few dresses in my closet are just too big...they are too big!!! Now, I'm not tiny at all, but I think Wal-Mart is calling my name this week. I need something cheap and cute.

I found out today that if I get down to 145, my BMI will be 24...in the normal range. I'm relieved to find out I have 5 extra pounds to play with...I have always thought I should weigh 140...seems a bit low to me. I suppose my goal now is a BMI below 25. I should change my sig...

Got another one.

My mom always buys me warmie pajamas. Pants, long-sleeves, in flannel or heavy cotton...HOT! "But you can wear them around the house, too. You don't have to sleep in them!"' Whatever. :rolleyes At 240 pounds on average over the past 5 years, they are nothing but HOT and uncomfortable.

Until the recent chilly weather. Now, in my 190's...about 50 pounds gone from my high weight, I'm cold! So I dug out those old warmie PJ's and they felt so good. But wait! What size are these? Dear Mom doesn't understand the concept of 1X, 2X, and 3X, which is all I have worn for years. OMGosh! They are size Large! And they are baggie! I love my "new" warmie size Large PJs!

WTG with the jammies!

I got one! Went to see Elton John Saturday night at the bobcats area. You know how uncomfortable those seats are and how you have no extra room? Well I was so excited it was the first time in I can't remember how long that I could fit and put my hands next to my hips to make sure I wasn't dreaming! I was so excited my eyes filled up again!

Today I tried on a 14/16 top, a bit snug so I didn't buy it but I'm sure in a few weeks I will!

Now I want to try an airplane seat!

Oh yeah Dianne!! I can't believe you saw Sir Elton. I'll bet it was great! Especially in those "comfy" seats! Hey, by sister's BF did the granite work in the new arena. Neat, huh?

I have another one! I finally got sick of too big panties. I'm really trying to conserve the budget so I gave up and dug around in the closet and got out that bag of old undies. There were 3 pair of size 7's that I put away for later, and about 15 pair of size 8's that I have been avoiding. I know I need at least an 8, but these old ones were not my comfy "high cut briefs" but are "french cut" something or other by Jockey. Good panties...but I switched to the briefs for the bigger backside, right? They fit. Oh how nice to be in panties that fit!!!! The rest are getting re-washed tonight after being in storage for who know how long...years, no doubt. I did toss a few worn ones, but the rest are in great shape! And the price was right! Yay!

Kathy, you're the best Thanks for letting everyone one in on your life and your challenges as a bandster. You rock! I have that c-section pouch overhang stomach thing, too. Are you considering a tummy tuck when it's all said and done? I hate that overhang, it's sooooooo ugly, but it is getting smaller slowly but surely. Luv ya and keep up the good work!!!

Ahhhhhhhhh Kathy!!! How cute are you!!!!!! I just want to give you a GREAT BIG Squeeze!!!!! You had me crying and laughing this whole thread. You are such a wonderful person and are doing so good on your NSVs!! wow girl.. who cares about the scale when you can fit into some nice size 8 french cut panties LOL love it!!!

Keep up the good work!!!!

I'm under 190! Just baely, but there and holding ground.

So, my latest NSV has to do with laundry. I am putting shirts and sweaters in the dryer! Ask my husband what big news this is. We have had a few little tiffs about how important it is for him to NOT put ANYTHING of mine in the dryer but socks and undies. NOTHING! NADA! In doubt? Hang it on the rack. Never, never, never put my clothes in the dryer. Shrunk up clothes are not a good thing for BIG girls. And when I find a sweater that fits and it costs $50, it REALLY better not go in the dryer.

So, I put some shirts and 2 sweaters in the dryer. They need to shrink! They are too big!!!! Wow. Now, not all of it goes in the dryer...but one of those $50 sweaters did. Good news.

Wow. I haven't put a shirt in the dryer for YEARS!! Congrats!! Woo Hoo! Intentionally shrinking clothes is GOOD.

:]

Okay, forgive me if this is long, you really don't have to read it, this is just a good place for me to journal so here goes.

Okay, so today was a really busy day for us at church. We had our Christmas Cantata tonight and it was a sort of family affair. Hubby and I are both in the Handbell Choir and we rang 2 pieces before the Cantata began, then I was a Reader in the Cantata (no singing for me ) but I apparently have pretty nice reading voice over the microphone since I get asked to read several times a year at church...the scripture text for the sermon on occasion, etc. Anyhow, I was a reader with a guy named Trent, who has a Mr. Radio announcer voice and it was great. We did a good job reading text between Cantata songs that gave transistions between the songs to tell the story of Christmas. It was lovely!

[One regret, though...I forgot to enunciate my "Love" at the beginning of the sentence one time. I should have marked it to remember not to say "Luv" and instead say it proper-like "Lahve" I AM Southern, you know. So I heard myself say "Luuuve" instead of "Lahve" and cringed...eek! The country bumpkin in me came out!!!!!]

Anyhow, I wore my choir robe to play the bells, and while we were waiting to file in, Trent (Mr Radio announcer) is standing there in his nice suit hanging out til the bells finished and we could go in. He and my friend Laura (in the choir) were discussing whether or not Trent and I were to wear our robes to match the choir while we were doing our readings. It was my understanding we were to wear our robes, so I dressed accordingly. Black pants (as always) and a red, short-sleeved thin ribbed sweater, tucked in, that I don't particularly mind wearing without a sweater over it (to cover my butt/belly) but there is NO WAY I would have worn that 1)knowing I'd be standing up in front of a crowd of 150 or so people 2)without the sweater I had to cover my butt/belly 3)the sweater I had is a coral color...a bit out of place at a Christmas Cantata and it's too hot! 4)with Trent standing opposite me in a very nice suit, not a coat and pants...a dark suit with a nice tie!!!!!!!! so I was totally underdressed.

And I was totally self-conscious. Many folks know of my surgery. I have done a pretty good job so far, but not good enough yet to get up there in front of God and everyone in anything but a great huge billowy long matching-everyone-else choir robe.

Trent obviously wasn't thrilled about wearing a robe. His suit looked so nice and I hated for him to wear a robe. My friend Laura was reassuring me that I looked great and should get up there and feel as great as I looked but I knew better and stood there wide-eyed and panicked. Poor Trent, God Bless HIM!!! said, "No problem, I'll just go put on a robe, sure, I'll go put on a robe" and he did. I could have kissed him. I don't think he knows how much I appreciate that.

I just hate the feelings that caused the panic. I'm underdressed, I just don't have the wardrobe to pull it off. I'm not confident enough yet in my appearance, particularly the belly/butt areas. And I really really really didn't want to be "naked" up there and distracted by my appearance, wondering how I looked, wondering who is looking at me, what they may be thinking...spending time doing all the nonsense mental gymnastics it would take to get through standing up there in a fairly snug sweater, tucked in to comfy but not so nice pants standing next to Trent, Mr Radio Announcer Suit Guy...SIGH.

Other than that, the Cantata went nicely and I'm very proud of the job we did! The choir sang beautifully, the bells rang pretty good (a few of us stumbled but it was good, all in all) and the Cantata was a wonderful time of Worship, which was the whole idea...and I was able to wear my choir robe!!!

Is any of that an NSV? LOL

I got into the shower with hubby the other day. It was late afternoon, broad daylight, the kids were napping. I'm so wild!!!! I'd have NEVER done that a year ago. Certainly not 2 years ago at 240+.

And it was 2 years ago around this time when I weighed 240+ and in tears and desperation went to Curves. They kept wanting me to make an appointment for measuring and training but I wanted IN!!! I couldn't wait to give them my money! Best thing I ever did. I got strong there, went on to another gym with childcare and got as healthy as I could be at 220. Then I got stuck, and a year ago started researching Lap Band, logged onto LBT and have been here ever since. See? I joined LBT in Jan 2005. Wow. My life has improved in so many ways this past year.

I have more NSV's with pics to post...coming soon.

I found some fat pics in the camcorder bag. Ewww. These are all some time in 2000. Yuck yuck yuck.